The MAGIL (Map and Government Information Library) and the microform (microfilm and microfiche) areas of the Main Library will remain closed for approximately two weeks due to water damage.

In MAGIL, staff will be able to retrieve some materials from collections (http://www.libs.uga.edu/magil/about/interim-access.html). Due to the movement of the microform cabinets for the purposes of restoring the impacted basement area, we will not be able to retrieve material from that space.

Parker Young Construction and FireStar have been on site regarding efforts to dry, clean, and repair the portions of MAGIL and the basement microform area impacted. They are currently estimating that work will be complete in both areas in the next two weeks. This timeline is subject to change.

The microform area in the Main basement is expected to open to the public this weekend, barring any unforeseen setback preventing them from completing work today.

In MAGIL, new carpet is being installed, but some work on the movable shelves remains. Based on the latest information from Parker Young Construction, we believe MAGIL will be ready to reopen in the early to middle part of next week.

Habitat for Humanity International will frame a house, to be used as affordable housing in Athens, on the lawn of the University of Georgia Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries April 1.

The symbolic house framing will be the highlight of a program to announce the opening of the Habitat for Humanity International records at UGA’s Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Habitat’s materials are the latest and largest addition to a growing body of related collections at Hargrett that revolve around the topics of housing, philanthropy, and social change. These materials document the formation, growth, and operation of one of the most recognized non-profit organizations as they have worked toward the mission of ending substandard housing around the globe.

The day’s activities include the ceremonial raising of an exterior wall of the house during a program beginning at 11:30 a.m. The theme for the day is “Preserving our Past, Building our Future.”

An exhibition of highlights from the collection that call attention to the history and international significance of Habitat for Humanity, including the philosophy of partnership housing; newsletters from Koinonia Farm, a Christian intentional farming community that would become the catalyst for Habitat’s establishment; photographs and memorabilia from significant projects, such as the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, Women Build, and the Global Village Program; and gifts of gratitude received by homeowner partners, including sculptures, paintings, and textiles will be on display in the Rotunda.

After the event, which will involve UGA students and the Athens Habitat chapter, the structure will be moved by Athens Habitat for Humanity to the Carpenter’s Circle neighborhood, where it will be completed by local volunteers and become home to Kim Arnold and her daughter Molly.

“Habitat for Humanity International’s decision to place its materials with us establishes the UGA Special Collections Libraries as a resource on the grassroots movement to address affordable housing,” said P. Toby Graham, university librarian and associate provost. “They join a growing body of related collections in the Hargrett Library that revolve around the topics of housing, philanthropy and social change. Others include the Millard and Linda Fuller papers, the Fuller Center for Housing records, and the Clarence L. Jordan papers.”

The UGA Libraries announce two new resources to support engineering research and teaching: the SPIE Digital Libraries e-book archive, featuring online books in optics and photonics 1989-2015, and retrospective literature searching of the EI Village Engineering database from 1884 to the present. EI Village is one of the primary research databases in the Engineering fields.

To learn how to use these databases, contact Chandler Christoffel: christof@uga.edu

For questions about the Engineering collections at UGA, contact Mariann Burright: mariann@uga.edu

Have you ever visited an exhibit and felt you only heard the first part of a truly great story?

If you’re a visitor who wants to learn more about the exhibitions at the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries, then join us for this monthly book club with light refreshments and discussion on works connected to upcoming/ongoing exhibitions and programs here at SCL. The monthly titles are selected (and discussions led) by Special Collections staff who help to create these displays/programs, and invite readers to learn more about the topics explored and to take them into new, related areas of interest.

Beginning Friday, March 20, 2015, from 11:59 pm to 4:00 am March 21, access to and retrieval of materials in the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, and Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards collections will be unavailable while updates are made to the database server.

The Curriculum Materials Library will be closing for renovations. The week of April 13th, we’ll be partially closed. We will have some access but will begin packing our collection. Beginning April 20th we will be completely closed. The CML should reopen in early June. For more information, please visit our LibGuide.

The purpose of #ITooAmUGA is to provide students the opportunity to have their stories heard and to advocate for campus diversity and inclusivity for all populations. Students and all participants in the campaign have had their personal stories recorded and archived by the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies.

The group will host a screening of this ongoing video project with light refreshments this Friday, March 20th at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium (room 271) of the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries. For more information visit the facebook event page or check out the article in this week’s Red and Black.

Due to the flood in the Main Library on March 13th, the Map and Government Information Library will be closed to the public until the recovery and restoration process is complete. During this time, the Map and Government Information Library staff will be able to offer limited reference assistance as follows:

By phone 8:30am-5:30pm Monday through Friday: 706-542-0690
By email: mapsinfo@uga.edu

We will also be able to retrieve materials for users from areas not affected by the flood. For further information about which materials can be retrieved and how they can be requested, please visit our Interim Collection Access page.

A selection of paintings by Winston Churchill, iconic statesman, Nobel Prize winner, and wartime hero, will be exhibited at the University of Georgia Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library from March 18-April 17.

The Art of Diplomacy: Winston Churchill and the Pursuit of Painting will include seven Churchill paintings and numerous artifacts, honoring Sir Winston Churchill’s family connections to Georgia. It is organized by the Millennium Gate Museum and the family of Winston Churchill’s great-grandson, Duncan Sandys. Athens is one of eight cities in Georgia selected to host the exhibition that commemorates the 50th anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill’s passing.

This exhibition showcases how painting rescued Churchill from depression and despair in 1915, putting him on the road towards his finest hour. It demonstrates how the act of painting, and the skills Churchill learned from his hobby, contributed to his ability to think about how best to confront the rise of Nazi Germany, and highlights how he used his painting skills to make his leadership during the Second World War more effective. As Churchill wrote, “If it weren’t for painting I could not live. I couldn’t bear the strain of things.” If he was right – in the words of esteemed art historian Ernst Gombrich – “his painting may have helped to save Western civilization.”

Widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century, Churchill was also an officer in the British Army, a historian, and a writer. He was made an honorary citizen of the United States in 1963. Churchill’s family has maintained a legacy of influence and involvement in Georgia since its founding. His ancestor, John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, trained General James Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia, in military tactics. Churchill himself lectured and toured in Georgia in 1932.

The Hargrett Gallery is located in the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries. The building is open free to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.